Q2 Australasian Ornithologists'' Union. T j|f"|",, 



Through the representation of the Union the question of the 

 existence of the Royal Company's Islands has been carefully 

 looked into by the Admiralty in London. It has come to the 

 conclusion that they do not exist, and they have consequently 

 been expunged from the Admiralty chart. 



We are glad that a South African Ornithologists' Union has 

 been successfully inaugurated, and congratulations were sent 

 from the Council of the A.O.U. wishing the new Union a suc- 

 cessful and useful career. 



A Tasmanian Field Naturalists' Club has also been started, 

 with its headquarters at Hobart, and it is expected that it will 

 i nduce some systematic work among the birds of that 

 island. 



Since the last annual meeting, Mr. Robert Hall, F.L.S., has 

 safely returned after a successful but arduous journey through 

 Japan, Corea, Manchuria, and Siberia. The collection of bird- 

 skins he and Mr. R. E. Trebilcock made, principally on the Lena 

 River, were acquired by the Hon. Walter Rothschild for his 

 Tring Museum, and the interesting ornithological results were 

 published in The Ibis by Mr. E. Hartert. 



Messrs. R. H. Porter and Co. have been appointed the London 

 agents for the Union's publications. 



One coloured plate was issued with vol. iii. of The Emu, and 

 another is well advanced for vol. iv. The Council would be 

 glad if members could send in in January any notes they may 

 have made up to the end of the year, especially on the migration 

 of birds in their district. 



D. Le Souef, Hon. Sec. 



Report on the Lighthouse Schedules. 



Since the last annual meeting notices have been printed and 

 sent to the lighthouses in New South Wales, Victoria, South 

 Australia, Western Australia, Queensland, Tasmania, New 

 Guinea, British New Guinea, Fiji, British North Borneo, Hong 

 Kong, New Caledonia, Java, and Japan, and the Marine Depart- 

 ments of the various States have lent their aid in kindly for- 

 warding the reports, and also have returned several replies, as 

 well as specimens. Many of the lighthouses of the latter 

 countries are looked after by natives, and it is probable that 

 very little information will be obtained from them, but possibly 

 a few specimens may be obtained. So far, Goose Island, in Bass 

 Strait, seems to be visited by far the larger number of migratory 

 birds — as the light-housekeeper expressed it, " in swarms at 

 certain times " — and there being no vegetation on the island 

 worth mentioning, the birds are more easily observed. We 

 expect to have a detailed list of birds passing there in September 

 later on. 



Cape Wickham, King Island, is also largely visited, generally 

 in April and May, evidently by birds on their way north. 



Kent Group also has visitors, principally Swifts, Cuckoo- 



